Dunn, Muriel Joyce: my Navy recollections (July 31, 1979)

ABSTRACT: Chief Petty Officer (C.P.O.) (Mrs.) Meriel Joyce Dunn Women's Royal Naval Service Dunn_M_0046_01.mp3 Born in 1922 in Leicestershire, England. Joined the Wrens in Feb. 1941 and took her basic training at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich. Recruited for some secretive job, the location of which (Bletchley Park) was not revealed until she and others were on a train leaving London. Everybody was so security conscious that this seemed normal. They were part of the first, and experimental, group of Wrens at Bletchley. Billeted in private homes outside the park. They found the staff to be a strange and cosmopolitan group. From all services and backgrounds, people obviously "all brains", some so brilliant that they seemed to be "on the [mental] border". (11:00) "Bombe" was the general name for the code breaking machines, although each had a specific name: hers was "Agnes". A "bombe" received a menu or list taken from the wireless coded message which indicated how the "bombe" rotors should be adjusted. This method set up a pattern or possible combination of code letters. Much enemy information was strictly routine, but all had to be decoded. The German codes were changed every twenty-four hours, therefore speed was essential. The work went on day and night. (20:00) Eventually several out-stations were built as facilities expanded. The Wrens worked eight-hour shifts under a controller, which Mrs. Dunn eventually became. Later health problems caused her to be assigned to day shift only. In time the staff outgrew private homes and were housed in large converted homes nearby. Security strict, but low-key: nobody talked about their work. (30:00) Mentions several prominent chess players who worked there. Found that weekly shift changes caused physical problems. Longer shift periods would have been better. No promotion to officer level among the Wrens at Bletchley. By the end of the war she was a chief petty officer at an annual salary of 110 pounds sterling. They worked in a windowless brick and concrete building. The machines made a fairly loud "clicking" noise, but not enough to be a problem. General discussion of life and work. After about three years she moved (in 1944) to a small out-station where she was in charge of about a dozen "bombes". (46:00) Dunn_M_0046_02.mp3 The operation stopped the day the war ended. Sometimes security was so great at Bletchley that the services could not be persuaded that the information received was correct. (10:00) Describes the small out-station with direct teleprinter link with Bletchley. At the end of the war went to Stanmore, a larger station beginning to shut down. (13:00) Discharged in Sept. 1945 with the admonition that the Official Secrets Act was still in force. Comments on mixed feelings as, in later years, security matters became public. (20:00)

Interviewee: Dunn, Muriel Joyce, b. 1922

Interviewer: Main, Chris D.

Rank: Chief Petty Officer.

An interview/narrative of Muriel Joyce Dunn's experiences during World War II. Chief Petty Officer Dunn served with the Women's Royal Naval Service. Interview took place on July 31, 1979.

In Collection:

• Canadian Military Oral Histories

Contributor

• Main, Chris D.
• Dunn, Muriel Joyce, b. 1922

Subject

• Great Britain. Royal Navy. Women's Royal Naval Service (1917-1919)
• Machine ciphers
• Government Code and Cypher School (Great Britain)
• Military history
• World War (1939-1945)

Language

• eng

Keyword

• Great Britain--Royal Navy
• Cryptography
• Dunn, Muriel Joyce, b. 1922.--Interviews
• Great Britain--Naval Intelligence Division
• Great Britain--Royal Navy--Women's Royal Naval Service
• Bletchley Park (Milton Keynes, England)
• Machine ciphers
• Intelligence service
• World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Canadian
• Great Britain--Government Code and Cypher School--England--Bletchley (Buckinghamshire)
• World War, 1939-1945--Military intelligence
• Enigma cipher system

Date created

• July 31, 1979

Relation

• Part of the Reginald H. Roy collection of interviews.

Resource type

• Sound

Rights statement

• In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Extent

• 2 sound recordings (MP3)

Geographic coverage

• England
• England--Milton Keynes--Bletchley Park

Coordinates

• 51.99649, -0.74256
• 52.16045, -0.70312

Additional physical characteristics

• One original sound tape reel (ca. 60 min.) : 1 7/8 ips, 2 track, mono. ; 1 sound cassette copy : standard, mono. in Special Collections.

Physical repository

• University of Victoria (B.C.). Library

Collection

• Canadian Military Oral History Collection

Provider

• University of Victoria (B.C.). Library

Genre

• oral histories (literary genre)
• reminiscences
• sound recordings
• interviews

Archival item identifier

• DMJ_046

Fonds title

• Reginald Herbert Roy fonds

Fonds identifier

• SC104

Is referenced by

• Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/reginald-herbert-roy-fonds

Date digitized

• May 28, 2007

Technical note

• Digital sound recording in .wav format at 16 bits and 22 kHz. In .mp3 format at 64 kbps and 22 kHz. Digitized by AN, technical and cataloguing metadata provided by JF and JP. Transferred from audio reel to audio cassette between 1987-1997. Interview migrated to digital format for UVic Special Collections in 2007. Migration metadata by KD and MT.

Rights

• This interview has been posted with the understanding that it may be used for research purposes only. Should the interviewee or their heirs have any objections to this interview being accessible on the Internet, it will be removed promptly. Contact UVic Special Collections for permission if using for other than research purposes: speccoll@uvic.ca

DOI

•  https://doi.org/10.58066/zwqp-wm45

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